Retractable hose structure of pull-out faucet

ABSTRACT

A retractable hose structure of a pull-out faucet contains: a body, a supply pipe, a flexible hose, and a spring. The body includes a locking portion. The supply pipe is hollow and includes a defining portion, an opening, and a screw element. The flexible hose is slidably received in the supply pipe and includes a slide portion and a water supply head. The water supply head is locked with the opening and is pulled outward with the flexible hose. The spring is accommodated in the supply pipe and is fitted on the flexible hose, and at least one non-metallic insulation layer is defined between the spring and the supply pipe. When pulling the water supply head outward, the spring is actuated by the flexible hose to retract. When releasing the water supply head, the spring drives the water supply head to move back to an original position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a faucet, and more particularly to aretractable hose structure for a pull-out faucet.

Description of the Prior Art

Faucet is one of the indispensable water supply tools in human life, anda development of faucets has led to advancement to an application ofwashing. For example, a structure design of different faucets isgradually applied on a sink, a countertop, and washstand, thus providingconsumers with more diversified appearances. With these faucets designedfor special purposes, it is more convenient for people to use water.

Conventionally, the faucets installed on the countertop are designed invertical type. For a convenience of water control, a water control valveis often designed to be located beside a body of a faucet, and a supplypipe is located on a top of the body. However, it is required to washingthe countertop after using the countertop. When washing the countertopwith the faucet, the supply pipe cannot be pulled to the countertop. Toovercome this problem, a faucet with a flexible hose has been developed,wherein the flexible hose is received in the supply pipe, a first end ofthe flexible hose is inserted through the body to connect with athreaded tube of a water control valve, and a second end of the flexiblehose is coupled with a water supply head, wherein the water supply headis fitted on an outer wall of the water supply pipe, such that whenwashing the countertop or other objects in a large size, the flexiblehose is pulled to extend the water supply head to a desired position.

Nevertheless, the flexible hose is inserted through the body, so thewater control valve, an inlet pipe, and the water supply pipe areaccommodated in limited space so that the flexible hose is received inthe body, and a counterweight is fixed on the flexible hose. Whenpulling the flexible hose downward by ways of the counterweight, a sizeof the body of the faucet is quite large, the space is limited, and theflexible hose is bendable, so the flexible hose is stopped by the watercontrol valve, when inserting the flexible hose into the body from anend of the water supply pipe, thus causing difficult installation andobstructing the flexible hose in the body.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a retractablehose structure of a pull-out faucet which contains a flexible hose and aspring both accommodated in a supply pipe so as to reduce a size of afaucet and obtain easy fabrication.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a retractablehose structure of a pull-out faucet which contains the flexible hose notpassing through a body so as to achieve easy installation andmaintenance.

To achieve above-mentioned objectives, a retractable hose structure of apull-out faucet provided by the present invention contains: a body, asupply pipe, a flexible hose, and a spring.

The body includes a locking portion formed on a top thereof.

The supply pipe is hollow, and the supply pipe includes a definingportion formed on a first end of the supply pipe, an opening defined ona second end of the supply pipe, and a screw element locked on an outerwall of the defining portion. The defining portion is screwed with thelocking portion of the body by the screw element.

The flexible hose is slidably received in the supply pipe, and theflexible hose includes a slide portion formed on a first end of theflexible hose, and a water supply head fixed on a second end of theflexible hose and located outside of the supply pipe. The water supplyhead is locked with the opening of the supply pipe and is pulled outwardwith the flexible hose based on using requirements.

The spring is accommodated in the supply pipe and is fitted on an outerwall of the flexible hose. At least one non-metallic insulation layer isdefined between the spring and the supply pipe so as to stop the springcontacting with the supply pipe directly.

When pulling the water supply head outward, the spring is actuated bythe flexible hose to retract. When releasing the water supply head, thespring drives the water supply head to move back to an originalposition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the assembly of a retractable hosestructure of a pull-out faucet according to a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the exploded components of theretractable hose structure of the pull-out faucet according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the assembly of the retractablehose structure of the pull-out faucet according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an amplified cross-sectional view of a part of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of theretractable hose structure of the pull-out faucet according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an amplified cross-sectional view of a part of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be clearer from the following descriptionwhen viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, forpurpose of illustrations only, a preferred embodiment in accordance withthe present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, a retractable hose structure of a pull-outfaucet according to a preferred embodiment of the present inventioncomprises: a body 10, a supply pipe 20, a flexible hose 30, a spring 40,and a connection member 50.

The body 10 includes a control portion 11 configured to control watersupply and mounted on a side of the body 10, a locking portion 12 formedon a top of the body 10, and a connecting portion 13 arranged on aninner wall of the top of the body 10, wherein the locking portion 12 hasouter threads 121 formed on an outer wall thereof.

The supply pipe 20 is hollow, and the supply pipe 20 includes anextension 21 formed on a first end thereof, an opening 22 defined on asecond end of the supply pipe 20, a defining portion 211 formed on abottom of the extension 21, a screw element 23 locked on an outer wallof the defining portion 211, the defining portion 211 being circularlyprotruded, and two first seal rings 212 fitted on an upper end and alower end of the defining portion 211 respectively, and the screwelement 23 has inner threads 231 defined on an inner wall thereof, suchthat the defining portion 211 is screwed with the outer threads 121 ofthe locking portion 12 of the body 10 by using the inner threads 231 ofthe screw element 23, the supply pipe 20 is connected with the body 10,and the two first seal rings 212 of the defining portion 211 stop awater leakage.

The flexible hose 30 is slidably received in the supply pipe 20, and theflexible hose 30 includes a slide portion 31 formed on a first endthereof, wherein the slide portion 31 has at least one second seal ring311 fitted thereon (in this embodiment, two second seal rings 311 arefitted on the slide portion 31), the flexible hose 30 further includes awater supply head 32 fixed on a second end of the flexible hose 30 andlocated outside of the supply pipe 20, wherein the water supply head 32is locked with the opening 23 of the supply pipe 20 and is pulledoutward with the flexible hose 30 based on using requirements.

The spring 40 is accommodated in the supply pipe 20 and is fitted on anouter wall of the flexible hose 30, wherein at least one non-metallicinsulation layer A0 is defined between the spring 40 and the supply pipe20 so as to stop the spring 40 contacting with the supply pipe 20directly, thus avoiding fraction between the spring 40 and the supplypipe 20 and noises. When pulling the water supply head 32 outward withthe flexible hose 30, the spring 40 is actuated by the flexible hose 30to retract. When releasing the water supply head 32, the spring 40drives the water supply head 32 to move back to an original positionwith the flexible hose 30.

The connection member 50 includes a hollow fixing column 51 formedtherein and a fitting portion 52 fitted on a bottom of the fixing column51, wherein the fixing column 51 is fitted on an inner wall of theextension 21 on the supply pipe 20 (in this embodiment, the fixingcolumn 51 is the non-metallic insulation layer A0), the fitting portion52 is fitted with the connecting portion 13 of the body 10, and thefixing column 51 has a through hole 511 defined adjacent to an upper endthereof, a receiving orifice 512 formed below the through hole 511 andcommunicating with the fitting portion 52, and a shoulder 513 definedbetween the receiving orifice 512 and the through hole 511, wherein thethrough hole 511 and the receiving orifice 512 are configured toaccommodate the flexible hose 30, such that the slide portion 31 of theflexible hose 30 is slidably fitted in the receiving orifice 512 of thefixing column 51, the spring 40 is accommodated in the receiving orifice512 of the fixing column 51, a first end of the spring 40 abuts againstthe shoulder 513 of the fixing column 51, and a second end of the spring40 contacts with the slide portion 31 of the flexible portion 30.

In operation, the control portion 11 is configured to control water flowmixed with cold water and hot water at a predetermined proportion sothat the water flow passes through the body 10 and the flexible hose 30to flow out of the water supply head 32. When washing a countertop orother objects with a large size, as shown in FIGS. 5-6, the water supplyhead 32 is pulled outward to a desired position with the flexible hose30, in the meantime, the slide portion 31 of the flexible hose 30 movesclose to the shoulder 513 of the connection member 50 so as to actuatethe spring 40, and after releasing the water supply head 32, the slideportion 31 of the flexible hose 30 moves to the shoulder 513 of theconnection member 50 so as to accurate the spring 40 to retract, and thespring 40 drives the water supply head 32 to move back to the originalposition with the flexible hose 30, after releasing the water supplyhead 32.

The at least one non-metallic insulation layer A0 defined between thespring 40 and the supply pipe 20 is the fixing column 51 of theconnection member 50. Alternatively, the fixing column 51 is eliminatedfrom the connection member 50, and the at least one non-metallicinsulation layer A0 is arranged on the spring 40 or/and the inner wallof the extension 21 of the supply pipe 20, wherein the at least onenon-metallic insulation layer A0 is made of plastic or rubber so as toseparate the spring 40 from the extension 21 of the supply pipe 20, thusstopping the spring 40 contacting with the supply pipe 20 to cause themetallic fraction and make the noises. Thereby, the retractable hosestructure of the pull-out faucet of the present invention contains:

1. The flexible hose 30 and the spring 40 are accommodated in the supplypipe 20 so as to reduce a size of the body 10 and obtain easyfabrication.

2. The flexible hose 30 does not pass through the body 10 so as toconnect a faucet, achieve easy maintenance, and decrease installationfailure rate.

While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention havebeen shown and described, it is clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A retractable hose structure of a pull-out faucetcomprising: a body including a locking portion formed on a top of thebody; a supply pipe being hollow, and the supply pipe including adefining portion formed on a first end of the supply pipe, an openingdefined on a second end of the supply pipe, and a screw element lockedon an outer wall of the defining portion, wherein the defining portionis screwed with the locking portion of the body by the screw element; aflexible hose slidably received in the supply pipe, and the flexiblehose including a slide portion formed on a first end of the flexiblehose, a water supply head fixed on a second end of the flexible hose andlocated outside of the supply pipe, wherein the water supply head islocked with the opening of the supply pipe and is pulled outward withthe flexible hose based on using requirements; and a spring accommodatedin the supply pipe and fitted on an outer wall of the flexible hose,wherein at least one non-metallic insulation layer is defined betweenthe spring and the supply pipe so as to stop the spring contacting withthe supply pipe directly, wherein when pulling the water supply headoutward, the spring is actuated by the flexible hose to retract; whenreleasing the water supply head, the spring drives the water supply headto move back to an original position, and further comprising: aconnection member, wherein the body includes a connecting portionarranged on an inner wall of the top thereof, an extension formed on afirst end of the supply pipe, the defining portion formed on a bottom ofthe extension, wherein the connection member includes a hollow fixingcolumn formed therein and is the at least one non-metallic insulationlayer, a fitting portion fitted on a bottom of the fixing column,wherein the fixing column is fitted on an inner wall of the extension onthe supply pipe, the fitting portion is fitted with the connectingportion of the body, and the fixing column has a through hole definedadjacent to an upper end thereof, a receiving orifice formed below thethrough hole and communicating with the fitting portion, and a shoulderdefined between the receiving orifice and the through hole, wherein thethrough hole and the receiving orifice are configured to accommodate theflexible hose, such that the slide portion of the flexible hose isslidably fitted in the receiving orifice of the fixing column, thespring is accommodated in the receiving orifice of the fixing column, afirst end of the spring abuts against the shoulder of the fixing column,and a second end of the spring contacts with the slide portion of theflexible portion.
 2. The retractable hose structure as claimed in claim1, wherein the locking portion of the body has outer threads, the screwelement has inner threads, such that the inner threads of the screwelement are screwed with the outer threads of the locking portion of thebody, thus connecting the supply pipe with the body.
 3. The retractablehose structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the defining portion ofthe supply pipe is circularly protruded, and two first seal rings arefitted on an upper end and a lower end of the defining portionrespectively so as to stop a water leakage.
 4. The retractable hosestructure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slide portion of theflexible hose has at least one second seal ring fitted thereon.
 5. Theretractable hose structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at leastone non-metallic insulation layer is arranged on an inner wall of theextension of the supply pipe.
 6. The retractable hose structure asclaimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one non-metallic insulationlayer is made of plastic or rubber.
 7. A retractable hose structure of apull-out faucet comprising: a body including a locking portion formed ona top of the body; a supply pipe being hollow, and the supply pipeincluding a defining portion formed on a first end of the supply pipe,an opening defined on a second end of the supply pipe, and a screwelement locked on an outer wall of the defining portion, wherein thedefining portion is screwed with the locking portion of the body by thescrew element; a flexible hose slidably received in the supply pipe, andthe flexible hose including a slide portion formed on a first end of theflexible hose, a water supply head fixed on a second end of the flexiblehose and located outside of the supply pipe, wherein the water supplyhead is locked with the opening of the supply pipe and is pulled outwardwith the flexible hose based on using requirements; and a springaccommodated in the supply pipe and fitted on an outer wall of theflexible hose, wherein at least one non-metallic insulation layer isdefined between the spring and the supply pipe so as to stop the springcontacting with the supply pipe directly, wherein when pulling the watersupply head outward, the spring is actuated by the flexible hose toretract; when releasing the water supply head, the spring drives thewater supply head to move back to an original position, and wherein theat least one non-metallic insulation layer is arranged on the spring. 8.The retractable hose structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein the atleast one non-metallic insulation layer is made of plastic or rubber. 9.A retractable hose structure of a pull-out faucet comprising: a bodyincluding a locking portion formed on a top of the body; a supply pipebeing hollow, and the supply pipe including a defining portion formed ona first end of the supply pipe, an opening defined on a second end ofthe supply pipe, and a screw element locked on an outer wall of thedefining portion, wherein the defining portion is screwed with thelocking portion of the body by the screw element; a flexible hoseslidably received in the supply pipe, and the flexible hose including aslide portion formed on a first end of the flexible hose, a water supplyhead fixed on a second end of the flexible hose and located outside ofthe supply pipe, wherein the water supply head is locked with theopening of the supply pipe and is pulled outward with the flexible hosebased on using requirements; and a spring accommodated in the supplypipe and fitted on an outer wall of the flexible hose, wherein at leastone non-metallic insulation layer is defined between the spring and thesupply pipe so as to stop the spring contacting with the supply pipedirectly, wherein when pulling the water supply head outward, the springis actuated by the flexible hose to retract; when releasing the watersupply head, the spring drives the water supply head to move back to anoriginal position, and wherein the at least one non-metallic insulationlayer is arranged on the spring and an inner wall of an extension of thesupply pipe.
 10. The retractable hose structure as claimed in claim 9,wherein the at least one non-metallic insulation layer is made ofplastic or rubber.